Du 9710142 This award supports a two-year collaborative research project between Dr. Honghua Du of the Stevens Institute of Technology and Dr. Soo Lee of Sun Moon University in Korea on "Alteration of the Effects of Sintering Additives on the Oxidation and Tribological Behavior of Silicon Nitride." The study will investigate the effects of aluminum ion implantation and the addition of alumina to silicon nitride products sintered with magnesia. Experimentation with surface and grain boundary chemical characteristics should lead to a better understanding of their relationship to oxidation and wear properties and to such basic phenomena as surface or interface reactions, diffusion, and tribochemical interactions in the silicon nitride ceramic system. This project will combine the expertise of the Korean team in the processing and sintering of ceramics with Dr. Du's extensive work on the corrosion resistance of these materials. Silicon nitride ceramics are used extensively in advanced engines and for other structural applications. Thus, the oxidation and wear of these ceramics presents important engineering issues. ***
